Lauren Laverne
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Lauren Laverne
OR:
Lauren Laverne on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock band
Kenickie Kenickie were an English four-piece pop punk band from Sunderland. The band was formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne (b. Lauren Gofton), drummer Johnny X (real name Pete Gofton, Lauren's brother) ...
. The group's album '' At The Club'' reached the top 10, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals on
Mint Royale Mint Royale is the alias of electronic music producer Neil Claxton and, until 2004, a duo consisting of himself and Chris Baker, originating from Manchester, England. It was founded by Claxton and Baker in 1997. Baker left the band in 2004, bu ...
's single "Don't Falter". Laverne has presented numerous television programmes, including '' 10 O'Clock Live'' for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, and ''
The Culture Show ''The Culture Show'' is a British magazine programme about books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts. The show was broadcast weekly on BBC Two between 2004 and 2015. Early history Launched in November 2004, th ...
'' and coverage of the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. She has also written a published novel entitled ''Candypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits''. She presents the breakfast show on
BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
, and in 2019 became the host of the long-running radio show ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
''.


Early life and education

Born Lauren Gofton, she was brought up in
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the historic county of Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on the River Wear's mouth to the North Sea. The ri ...
, in a large family. Her father was one of nine and her mother was one of six. One grandfather had been a shipbuilder, the other a container . Her father, Dr Leslie Gofton, was a sociology lecturer at
Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
, and her mother was a teacher. She first attended St. Mary's
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Primary School in 1982, where she befriended Marie Nixon, later to become a fellow Kenickie guitarist, and then St. Anthony's Girls' Catholic School between 1989 and 1994, where she and Nixon met Emma Jackson. Laverne went on to study at City of Sunderland College from 1994 to 1996.


Career

During her time at college, Laverne, Nixon and Jackson, then all aged sixteen, formed
Kenickie Kenickie were an English four-piece pop punk band from Sunderland. The band was formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne (b. Lauren Gofton), drummer Johnny X (real name Pete Gofton, Lauren's brother) ...
with Laverne's brother
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
, taking the stage names Lauren Laverne (originally Lauren Le Laverne),front cover art
Kenickie Kenickie were an English four-piece pop punk band from Sunderland. The band was formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne (b. Lauren Gofton), drummer Johnny X (real name Pete Gofton, Lauren's brother) ...
, ''Catsuit City'' EP,
Slampt Slampt (also Slampt Underground Organisation) was a record label set up in Newcastle, England in 1992. The label is perhaps best known for releasing Kenickie's debut EP. Slampt also released the debut single by The Yummy Fur, a band who later ...
1995
Text lists Lauren Laverne and Johnny X as Lauren Le Laverne and X respectively.liner notes
Kenickie, Skillex EP vinyl edition,
Fierce Panda Fierce Panda Records is a London-based independent record label, with its first release in February 1994. It also produced a small number of releases that year by now famous artists such as Ash (band), Ash, The Bluetones, Baby Bird and Superg ...
1995
Text lists Lauren Laverne and Johnny X as Lauren Le Laverne and X respectively. Marie du Santiago, Emmy-Kate Montrose and Johnny X (originally just X). Initially affiliated to the
Slampt Slampt (also Slampt Underground Organisation) was a record label set up in Newcastle, England in 1992. The label is perhaps best known for releasing Kenickie's debut EP. Slampt also released the debut single by The Yummy Fur, a band who later ...
label and the local
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
scene, the band later signed with
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
. In all, Kenickie achieved four top-40 hit singles and a top-10 hit album. Laverne, Du Santiago and Montrose became as known for their funny and acerbic onstage banter and interview style as for their music, making all three of them popular contestants on comedy panel shows such as ''
Never Mind the Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hoste ...
''. Laverne would later appear on '' Have I Got News for You''. In 2000, she brought out a solo EP, ''Take These Flowers Away'', contributed a version of "In the Bleak Midwinter" to
Xfm London Radio X is a British National commercial radio station focused on alternative rock, alternative music, primarily indie rock, and owned by Global Media & Entertainment, Global. Radio X launched in 1989 as a pirate radio station, a licensed Lon ...
's ''It's a Cool, Cool Christmas'' album, played at the
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
, and made the top 20 for the only time in her singing career as vocalist on "Don't Falter" by
Mint Royale Mint Royale is the alias of electronic music producer Neil Claxton and, until 2004, a duo consisting of himself and Chris Baker, originating from Manchester, England. It was founded by Claxton and Baker in 1997. Baker left the band in 2004, bu ...
. She was also working on a solo album at this time, but this was permanently put on hold by the collapse of
Deceptive Records Deceptive Records was a British independent record label formed in 1993 by Steve Lamacq, Tony Smith and Alan James, which concentrated on rock and alternative rock. The most famous group signed to the label were Elastica. Steve Lamacq left ...
. She subsequently provided guest vocals on the
Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
's 2004 single "Come Home Billy Bird".


Television

Laverne's first television presenting role was for
Play UK Play UK was a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV network of channels. Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms, but on the Sky Analogue platform on the Astra 19.2°E satellite system it broadcast ...
's series ''
The Alphabet Show ''The Alphabet Show'' is a late-1990s television show broadcast on UK Play. It was presented by Lauren Laverne and Chris Addison. Each episode focused on a different letter of the alphabet, it featured music videos A music video is a video ...
'', with
Chris Addison Christopher David Addison (born 5 November 1971) is a British comedian, writer, actor, and director. He is perhaps best known for his role as a regular panellist on ''Mock the Week''. He is also known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of ...
, made while Kenickie were still together. She subsequently presented ''Planet Pop'' and ''Loves Like A Dog'' for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, ''Fanorama'' for E4, ''
Party in the Park Party in the Park is the generic name given to music concerts organised by various radio stations and local authorities and groups in the United Kingdom, typically in large parks during the summer, however it is also used to refer to a family ori ...
'' with
Melanie Brown Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed S ...
and ''Pop'' for
Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
and ''
Orange Playlist ''Orange Playlist'' is a British music chat show TV series, produced by INITIAL, a subsidiary of Endemol UK for the ITV Network. The third series was presented by Jayne Middlemiss. A different guest each week joins Middlemiss to discuss their l ...
'' for
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, as well as reporting for '' RI:SE'', leading the house band on ''
Johnny Vaughan Jonathan Randal Vaughan (born 16 July 1966) is an English television and radio presenter and a film critic. He was the main presenter of ''Capital Breakfast'' alongside Lisa Snowdon on 95.8 Capital FM between 2004 and 2011. Vaughan currently pr ...
Tonight'' and appearing as an expert in a music special of
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
's ''
Test the Nation ''Test the Nation'' is a television programme, first broadcast in 2001 by BNN (Dutch broadcaster), BNN in the Netherlands. The concept is owned by Eyeworks Holding who license it to TV production companies around the world. Show format The forma ...
''. Later, she became one of
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
's main presenters for their coverage of the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
and the host of
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
's coverage of events such as the
British Comedy Awards The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...
and the
BRIT Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
. She also presented a documentary for
Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
on the rise of popularity of the US hit TV Show ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'', called ''Buffy: Television With Bite''. This was done when the show was returning for its sixth season in 2001. In 2000, Laverne provided the voice of Shinobu in the BBC's short-lived UK dub of ''
Urusei Yatsura (1981 TV series) ''Urusei Yatsura'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by Kitty Films that aired on Fuji Television from October 14, 1981 to March 19, 1986. It is based on the manga series of the same name by Rumiko Takahashi and was co-produced by ...
''. In 2003, Laverne was a regular team captain, along with Jason Byrne, on ''Elvis Has Left The Building'' a comedy music panel show hosted by Colin Murphy for BBC Northern Ireland. In 2004 she was a regular guest on the quiz show ''
HeadJam ''HeadJam'' is a BBC television game show hosted by Vernon Kay. It originally aired during the summer of 2004 on BBC Three, with a repeat soon afterwards on BBC Two. It features two teams, each consisting of a member of the public and a celebr ...
''. In 2005, she became host of ITV's Saturday morning music show '' CD:UK'', along with
Myleene Klass Myleene Angela Klass (born 6 April 1978) is a British musician, singer, presenter, model and businesswoman. She was a member of the pop group Hear'Say, and later released two solo classical crossover albums in 2003 and 2007. More recently, Klass ...
and
Johny Pitts Johny Pitts is an English television presenter, writer and photographer from Firth Park, Sheffield. Biography He is of mixed-race heritage (his father Richie was from Bed–Stuy, New York and was in the 1970s soul band The Fantastics, wh ...
. The show finished in April 2006. in April 2006, Laverne appeared as guest host of ''
Never Mind the Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hoste ...
''. In August, she presented Channel 4's coverage of the V Festival. In March 2007, she presented the
NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of ...
live from the
Hammersmith Palais The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, in its last years simply named Hammersmith Palais, was a dance hall and entertainment venue in Hammersmith, London, England that operated from 1919 until 2007. It was the first ''palais de danse''  to b ...
. In July 2007, Laverne appeared on the satirical comedy show ''
Mock the Week ''Mock the Week'' is a British topical satirical celebrity panel show, created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson. It was produced by Angst Productions for BBC Two, and was broadcast from 5 June 2005 to 4 November 2022. The programme was present ...
'', and on '' Have I Got News for You'' on 14 December that same year. She appeared on ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' on 10 January 2008, this time as a guest. In September 2008, Laverne appeared again on ''Mock the Week''. In March 2008, Laverne appeared on the ''
Lily Allen and Friends ''Lily Allen and Friends'' is a British TV talk show presented by Lily Allen. The programme was produced by Princess Productions for BBC Three. It was first shown on 12 February 2008. The audience consists entirely of Lily's online friends, who ...
'' show with fellow Sunderland musicians
the Futureheads The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland, formed in 2000. The band consists of Ross Millard (vocals and guitar), David "Jaff" Craig (vocals and bass guitar) and brothers Barry Hyde (vocals and guitar) and Dave Hyde (drums ...
, and on '' Would I Lie to You?''. From 2006 to 2010, she was a regular presenter with the weekly
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
arts magazine programme ''
The Culture Show ''The Culture Show'' is a British magazine programme about books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts. The show was broadcast weekly on BBC Two between 2004 and 2015. Early history Launched in November 2004, th ...
'', alongside
Mark Kermode Mark James Patrick Kermode (, ; ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter and podcaster. He is the chief film critic for ''The Observer'', contributes to the magazine ''Sight & Sound'', prese ...
. She also presented the second series of the late-night Channel 4 music show ''
Transmission with T-Mobile ''Transmission'' (also known for sponsorship reasons as ''Transmission with T-Mobile'') is a British television programme broadcast on Channel 4, offering live performances and interviews of famous music artists, that ran for three series betwee ...
'' opposite Steve Jones. Laverne replaced radio DJ
Jo Whiley Johanne Whiley-Morton (born 4 July 1965), better known by her professional name Jo Whiley, is an English radio DJ and television presenter. She was the host of the long-running weekday later weekend '' Jo Whiley Show'' on BBC Radio 1. She curre ...
on the talent show ''Orange Mobile Act Unsigned'', which searches for the top unsigned acts in the country. Laverne became a regular presenter in the new "magazine" format third series of '' It's Not Easy Being Green'', first broadcast on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
in January 2009. She also narrated '' Tough Guy or Chicken?'' on BBC Three in August 2009. On 6 May 2010, she was a co-host of Channel 4's ''Alternative Election Night'', along with
Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...
, David Mitchell and
Charlie Brooker Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
. Starting 20 January 2011, she re-joined her co-hosts on Channel 4's satirical news programme '' 10 O'Clock Live''. Laverne narrates the animated series ''
Tee and Mo ''Tee and Mo'' is an animated children's television series. Starting as a series of games and shorts on the CBeebies website in 2013, production of a 50 episode series was ordered in 2014, first airing in 2018. Plot This is the story of a monk ...
'' about a little monkey and his monkey Mum, as shown on the
CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
channel. In May 2022 the BBC announced that Laverne would be one of the guest presenters to take over
Richard Osman Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, novelist and comedian. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show ''Pointless''. He has presented the BBC Two quiz sho ...
's role on
Pointless ''Pointless'' is a British television quiz show produced by Banijay subsidiary Remarkable Television for the BBC. It is hosted by Alexander Armstrong. In each episode four teams of two contestants attempt to find correct but obscure answers t ...
.


Radio

Having previously sat in for
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's
Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music. Early life He attended The Ramsey Academy ...
, Laverne joined
Xfm London Radio X is a British National commercial radio station focused on alternative rock, alternative music, primarily indie rock, and owned by Global Media & Entertainment, Global. Radio X launched in 1989 as a pirate radio station, a licensed Lon ...
in 2002, co-hosting a Saturday morning show with Mark Webster, while occasionally standing in for various DJs on
BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
, including
Phill Jupitus Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is an English stand-up and improv comedian, actor, performance poet, cartoonist and podcaster. Jupitus was a team captain on all but one BBC Two-broadcast episode of music quiz ''N ...
' breakfast show where one morning she interviewed her own brother Pete (who records under the name J Xaverre) Laverne took over XFM's drivetime slot from
Zoë Ball Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British radio and television presenter. She was the first female host of both ''Radio 1 Breakfast'' and '' The Radio 2 Breakfast Show'' for the BBC, and presented the 1990s children's show ''Live & ...
at the start of 2004, winning ''Best Newcomer'' at the ''Commercial Radio Awards'' in 2004. She became host of the XFM breakfast show on 31 October 2005 after
Christian O'Connell Christian Liam O'Connell (born 7 April 1973 in Winchester, Hampshire) is a British radio disc jockey, television host, writer, and comedian living in Australia. He presents ''The Christian O'Connell Show'' on weekday mornings on Gold 104.3 in ...
moved to
Virgin Radio Virgin Radio launched in the United Kingdom in 1993. In 2008, Virgin Radio UK was sold to TIML, a subsidiary of The Times of India group, and the name was changed to Absolute Radio; the Virgin Radio name was not included in the sale. In 2001, ...
, but left suddenly in April 2007 to pursue her television interests. However, Laverne went on to guest present on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
. Laverne joined
BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
in June 2008 to present a Saturday weekend show before taking over the Monday to Friday morning (10:00 to 13:00) slot from
George Lamb George Martin Lamb (born 20 December 1979) is an English radio and television presenter, currently presenting ''Football Tonight'' on BT Sport. In 2012, Lamb presented the Channel 4 game show ''The Bank Job''. Lamb is the son of actor Larry Lam ...
in November 2009. From January 2019, Laverne replaced
Shaun Keaveny Shaun William Keaveny (born 14 June 1972) is a British broadcaster who presented the Breakfast Show on radio station BBC Radio 6 Music for 11 years, and the afternoon show for a further 3 years. Education and early life Keaveny grew up on the ...
on the 6 Music Breakfast Show in a station schedule re-shuffle, which airs Monday – Friday, 07:30 to 10:30. In 2014, Laverne guest-edited ''
Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by A ...
'' on Radio 4, and in 2015 began hosting '' Late Night Woman's Hour'', a spinoff series. In September 2018, Laverne took over as host to Radio 4's ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
'' when
Kirsty Young Kirsty Jackson Young (born 23 November 1968) is a Scottish television and radio presenter. From 2006 to 2018 she was the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''. She presented ''Crimewatch'' on BBC One from 2008 to 2015. Early ...
took time off because of
fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hyp ...
treatment. It was later announced that Young would not be returning and Laverne would be her permanent replacement. In June 2020, Laverne helped to launch m4d Radio, an
internet radio Online radio (also web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio, IP radio, Internet radio) is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not transmitted ...
station designed for people with
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
and their
carers A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
. As well as recording a welcome message for the radio station, Laverne spearheaded the station's #Song4You campaign, where celebrities and members of the public were encouraged to dedicate a song to someone they know who is affected by dementia.


Writing

In 2010, she published her first novel ''Candypop – Candy and the Broken Biscuits'', about rock chick Candy Caine, 15, on her journey to the world's biggest music festival,
Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
. The book is published by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
. Laverne was a columnist for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' from 2012 to 2014, writing about style and British culture. In April 2015, Laverne launched ''The Pool'', an online platform aimed at women. The site was co-founded with writer and magazine editor Sam Baker and included features from British journalists including Sasha Wilkins,
Sali Hughes Sali Hughes (born 21 February 1975) is a Welsh journalist, writer and broadcaster. She is ''The Guardian''s resident beauty columnist. Early life and education Hughes was born on 21 February 1975 and grew up in Blackwood, Caerphilly. Her father w ...
and
Viv Groskop Viv Groskop (born 8 July 1973) is a British journalist, writer and comedian. She has written for publications including ''The Guardian'', ''Evening Standard'', ''The Observer'', '' Daily Mail'', ''Mail on Sunday'' and ''Red'' magazine. She writes ...
. The website also included regular podcasts and videos with Caitlin Moran. The platform entered administration in January 2019.


Discography

; Solo singles: * ''Take These Flowers Away'' EP (did not chart) # "I Fell Out of a Tree" # "Good Morning Sunshine" # “Monkey Dance” # "To Have a Home" # "Some Kind of Other Presence" # "If You Phone (Netmix)" (internet only bonus track) ; Other solo releases: * "Don't Falter",
Mint Royale Mint Royale is the alias of electronic music producer Neil Claxton and, until 2004, a duo consisting of himself and Chris Baker, originating from Manchester, England. It was founded by Claxton and Baker in 1997. Baker left the band in 2004, bu ...
featuring Lauren Laverne, No.15 (w/b 31 January 2000) * "In the Bleak Midwinter" (on ''It's A Cool Cool Christmas'' compilation) (did not chart) * "Come Home Billy Bird", the
Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
(uncredited vocalist), No. 24 (w/b 28 March 2004)


BBC Radio sessions

Evening Session BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
, BBC Radio 1, August 2000 * "Don't Falter (acoustic)" * "
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
" * "Thank You" * To Have A Home Air, BBC Radio Scotland, December 2000 * "Ian" * "Open"


Personal life

Laverne married the television producer and DJ Graeme Fisher in
County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly About North East E ...
in August 2005; the couple live in
Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, East Finchl ...
, London, and she also has a flat in Sunderland. The couple had their first child, a boy named Fergus James Fisher, in October 2007. On 30 March 2010, she announced on her
BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
show that she was pregnant, and she gave birth to their second son, Mack Fisher, in September 2010. Laverne's mother, Celia Gofton, was elected a councillor for the Pallion ward in the City of Sunderland in 2006, and sought nomination as Labour candidate in 2008 in the
Sunderland Central Sunderland Central is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It is represented by the Labour Party MP Julie Elliott, who has held the seat since its creation in 2010. Constituency profile The Sunderland Central constit ...
constituency but was defeated by
Julie Elliott Julie Elliott (born 29 July 1963) is a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician, who was first elected Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunderland Central (UK Parliament constituency), Sunderland C ...
, who went on to win the seat for Labour in the 2010 general election. Her mother died in June 2022. Laverne is a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. In 2011, she said, "Once a Catholic... It's like the Mafia - you don't get to leave. I'm not sure I'd want to, but I'm incredibly angry with the Church at the moment." She is a supporter of Sunderland AFC.


Politics

Laverne is a supporter of the Labour Party. In late 1996, on a children's TV programme, Laverne referred to the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
as "Tory scum" for their support for the
Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
. This was before the
1997 United Kingdom general election The 1997 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 1 May 1997. The governing Conservative Party led by Prime Minister John Major was defeated in a landslide by the Labour Party led by Tony Blair, achieving a 179 seat majority. Th ...
. In 2005, Laverne's passion for her home city resulted in her becoming an ambassador promoting and raising awareness of Sunderland. She received an honorary fellowship from the
University of Sunderland , mottoeng = Sweetly absorbing knowledge , established = 1901 - Sunderland Technical College1969 - Sunderland Polytechnic1992 - University of Sunderland (gained university status) , staff = , chancellor = Emeli ...
in July 2009. Laverne has been a vegetarian since the age of four.


References


External links

*
''Lauren Laverne''
(BBC Radio 6 Music)
''Desert Island Discs''
(BBC Radio 4) {{DEFAULTSORT:Laverne, Lauren 1978 births 20th-century British guitarists 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers 21st-century British guitarists 21st-century English women musicians 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers BBC Radio 1 presenters BBC Radio 2 presenters BBC Radio 4 presenters BBC Radio 6 Music presenters Britpop musicians English Roman Catholics English guitarists English radio DJs English television presenters English women guitarists Labour Party (UK) people Living people Musicians from Tyne and Wear People from Sunderland British women radio presenters 20th-century women guitarists 21st-century women guitarists